A tasty tradition continues.....

Annual strudel bake makes over 900 strudels in five hours

  • Parishioners and volunteers are shown filling and rolling up strudels.
    Parishioners and volunteers are shown filling and rolling up strudels.
  • Lisa Stock, Mary Ann Stock and Monica Peters, left to right, work at assembling strudels.
    Lisa Stock, Mary Ann Stock and Monica Peters, left to right, work at assembling strudels.
  • It took all these rolling pins (which are kept in storage from year to year), as well as many others that volunteers brought along, to complete the process of rolling out the 952 strudels!
    It took all these rolling pins (which are kept in storage from year to year), as well as many others that volunteers brought along, to complete the process of rolling out the 952 strudels!
  • Pictured is a group from the Houston area who are friends and relatives of local parishioner, Janet Wells. They always have smiling, energetic faces, and a majority of this group have come for numerous years to be a part of this Shiner project. In general, they are “friends of parishioners” who regularly come to spend the weekend of the Strudel Bake in Shiner, and pitch in to help.
    Pictured is a group from the Houston area who are friends and relatives of local parishioner, Janet Wells. They always have smiling, energetic faces, and a majority of this group have come for numerous years to be a part of this Shiner project. In general, they are “friends of parishioners” who regularly come to spend the weekend of the Strudel Bake in Shiner, and pitch in to help.

    Parishioners and friends of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner gathered on Saturday, November 9 for the 37th annual Strudel Bake. 
    A grand total of 952 strudels were rolled out one by one and completed in a record time of five hours. 
    It takes an enormous amount of work to produce the strudels that were made and sold for this parish project. 
    Many hours of preparation take place before the event, as well as the day of, and after the actual date.  
    The task of making the dough takes place on Friday evening, when a group of workers gather to make and weigh out each portion of dough.  
    These are carefully wrapped, and are ready for the first workers who came on Saturday morning at 6 a.m. 
    The job of coring and slicing the apples fell on another group of volunteers who started that process at 5 a.m. 
    Parishioners and their families make up the core of the volunteers. However, several groups who came to help were relatives or friends of parishioners who wanted to be a part of the process.  
    Volunteers included men and women of all ages, as well as many youngsters who came to pitch in.  
    Local clergy also came to be a part of the action, including Pastor Father Bryan Heyer, Father Michael Odartey-Lamptey, and Deacon Aaron Padilla, who were all seen among the volunteers. 
    It might be said there were a number of unique strudels as a result of their efforts, as they also took up the rolling pin to help with rolling out the dough.
    All the strudels were sold by the end of the day. As a result, many a holiday meal in the area, will offer these traditional strudel pastries that include apples, cinnamon flavored sugar, sweet crumbs, coconut, raisins, pecans, with a generous drizzling of butter, leaving an unbelievable aroma in any kitchen.
    The parish regrets that some customers had to be turned away, as they had not placed their orders in advance.  
    On behalf of the Shiner parish, thanks are extended to everyone who ordered the strudels, those who made generous donations, and each and everyone who worked before, during, and after the event. 
    For more information on this project as well as others parish news, interested persons may stay in touch by connecting to the parish website at www.sscmshiner.org.